Graham Linehan rages at trans activists busy trying to 'destroy' his life as he teases Father Ted musical in works

18 April 2024, 18:44

By Sukhmani Sethi

@SukhmaniSethi

Father Ted creator Graham Linehan has launched a social media campaign to back a musical based on the hit Channel 4 show, after the comedy writer revealed that he turned down a £200,000 offer to remove his name from the production.

Comedy writer Graham Linehan took to X, formerly known as Twitter, said that while plans for the "surefire hit" were underway, "trans activists were busy trying to destroy [his] life."

The 55-year-old Irish activist has faced backlash after raising his concerns about gender dysphoria in children and demanded criminal investigations into both pro-trans charities Mermaids and Stonewall for encouraging what he called 'the myth of the trans child'.

In his social media post, Linehan gave a taste of what could be expected in the musical, which has so far been shelved pending the removal of his name being attributed to the production, allegedly at the behest of Jimmy Mulville of Hat Trick Productions.

Close friend, Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy, was said to have been enlisted to write songs for the comedy musical, with Linehan revealing that beloved character Mrs Doyle "had an absolute showstopper that I’m sure would have brought the audience to their feet".

Linehan claimed that when he last worked on the musical, the production was presented to executive producer Sonia Friedman and her team, with the story "almost there".

However, the comedy writer claimed that he later received a call to go to London and the Hat Trick offices, where he was told to remove his name from the show, for a £200,000 reimbursement, or "it would not be made" - an offer he refused.

Linehan added: "I did not want the legacy of Father Ted to be built on the ruined bodies of gay, autistic, abused and gender-nonconforming children."

The Irish writer said that that trans activists has thwarted plans for the musical by "smearing my name in propaganda outlets" after he spoke up about "troubled children were placing themselves on an irreversible medical pathway that was deeply damaging to their health and peace of mind".

He added: "The police were sent to my door multiple times. I was sued by a succession of activists, one of whom was a child predator and vexatious litigant."

The Cass Report, which came out last week recommended that under 18s are not prescribed powerful hormone drugs and stated that many children changed their gender end up regretting it. Many of these children have experienced trauma, neglect and abuse, the report added.

Linehan said that the landmark report "vindicated" his position and said that his beliefs, which include that biological sex is "real and important" and that "women need single sex spaces for their safety and privacy" are "specifically protected in British law".

Urging his followers to use the hashtag #FreeFatherTed, Linehan said that Mulville and Friedman could be challenged for what he called "cultural vandalism" for allowing musical to sit on the shelf.

Linehan suggested that Mulville's reasoning for stalling teh project was for "no other reason than to please the gender cultists on his staff and in the wider, captured media landscape".

He added: It’s pathetic, cruel and cowardly. If he doesn't want to make the show, he should get out of the way and let me do it."